


Memory Cake

by Lost-In-Inkopolis (Fem)



Series: City of Colour [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Incubation, Military, NOT INCUBATION LIKE A KINKY THING BUT LIKE, Needles, Prequel, Training, YKNOW THEYRE GROWN FROM TUBES, agent 8’s backstory, enjoy lol, will add tags as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-09-17 05:29:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16968540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fem/pseuds/Lost-In-Inkopolis
Summary: Agent 8 may have amnesia, but what he has done will never leave the minds and hearts of others.The story of a rise to fame, a fall to freedom, and the chance of a lifetime.Enjoy.





	1. Emergence

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The backstory of the infamous Koyaki “Agent 8” Ta. :}
> 
> Enjoy my story! If you haven’t read All’s Fair in Love and Turf War, I recommend you do! It’ll help you get to know what’s going on, probably. Haha

A hiss. A series of clicks, and then a snap. Burning light, white hot, seeping into everything in the area, everything it touched was on fire. An explosion of emotions. An inkling with brown eyes and a thin scar. Another inkling, with a scar sprawling across half her face and pink eyes. Who are they? Who?

The feeling of the heart soaring. The screams of the fallen. The ache of grief. Every emotion, every feeling at once. 

It was blinding.

—

He opened his eyes. 

‘He’ wasn’t sure who he was. He was an octoling, for sure, but who? Surrounded by thick green fluid, inside of a tank- eyes watched him from all around. Who are they? 

One of them said something- inaudible from inside the tube- and began messing with some sort of console. The fluid around him began to bubble, and felt as if it became thicker. He began to feel tired, very, very, tired…has it always been so warm? It’s nice…

—

For the second time in his life, he opened his eyes. 

We was no longer surrounded by the warm liquid- the air was cool, and felt strange. He was laying on a table. He appeared to be in an entirely different place. 

“You’re awake.”

He looked in the direction of the voice, a shiver running through his body. A young octoling woman, face mask around her mouth, tentacles a shade of red, tied up, out of her face. She was wearing a white coat- no goggles. What are goggles? How does he know that word?

She approached the frightened boy, an air of gentleness surrounding her. 

“I’m Ferrnah,” she turned back to the table behind her, which was filled with strange trinkets and instruments. “I’m a nurse here- you’ve just emerged.” She set down a vial of...something, and then walked back over, a syringe in hand. 

He tried to speak- to say something, anything, but all that came out was a strangled gurgle. He wasn’t sure how he knew the language, in fact. 

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” Ferrnah laughed softly. “Take your time. Now,” she approached him with the syringe.

“This may hurt a bit,” she gently took his arm, and inserted the needle. He winced, and then sighed as it was removed. 

“Do you know your name?” 

He shook his head. He wasn’t sure if very much, really. 

Ferrnah smiled. “Well, you’re lucky. Usually we just give out numbers to soldiers and let them pick a name as they age, but…” she looked away. “We’ve received...special orders, about what you are to be called. From the DJ,”

He tensed up as he heard that name- he wasn’t sure why, but he felt some sort of unbearable presence. 

Ferrnah took his hand and helped him sit up. 

“Ta Koyaki, welcome to the domes.”


	2. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Commander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some actual exposition and also a chapter that’s at least more than 400 words lol

His name was Koyaki. That’s all he knew. He was a soldier, and he was to fight and steal Zapfish- for his people. 

The domes were his home- a network of underground chambers, all connected by kettles- a series of pipes to get around. The domes were dark, as the dwindling energy source became smaller and smaller. That’s why they took the Zapfish. 

His outfit usually persisted of a black crop top, with a metal chestplate, along with leather pants with a multitude of belts sling haphazardly around his hips. All that, and a pair of heeled boots. 

And he wore the goggles. The metallic face mask was strapped around his head by a leather band, and covered his eyes- two purple dots shining where his pupils would be. It was unsettling, he thought. 

He had a single tentacle atop his head, the rest shaved, with smaller tentacles twisting around the base of the largest. It was an uncommon hairstyle, as most octolings were female- male octolings were rare and usually did not live very long for strange, biological reasons. 

Of course, that did not stop Koyaki from trying his very hardest, doing everything he could to impress the leader of his troop- Rojji. She was tough, and an elite- her tentacles were a deep shade of maroon, with golden flecks reflecting off the edges. Two strands of seaweed flowed from behind her ears. 

Koyaki idolized Rojji, in a way. She was the ideal octoling- strong, cold, flexible, smart- she had it all. She was everything he wanted to be. 

Everything changed that day. 

—

“Listen up,” the commander at the center of the circle, Rojji, barked. “I’ve got a special training task for you.”

Round ears of all sizes twitched. Special training?

“As most of you know, we are being challenged by the Inkling menace,” She posed, imitating an inkling, causing the group to hiss. “I will be the enemy, while you lot must team up and try to take me down.” 

Koyaki was ecstatic. He wanted to be on the front lines, charging into battle, just like Rojji. Just like Rojji. 

They lined up behind a respawn pad, at an end of one of the many obstacle courses designed for octoling training. Rojji was on the other end, preparing for her role as an inkling. The squad’s color was pink, Rojji’s was yellow. 

A timer sounded, and the group rushed forward. The squad consisted of Koyaki, and three other girls. OCTO12865, who called herself Devve, Gyo, who was named at emergence, and OCTO337911, who went by Yew. The four teamed up, and began planning their attack. 

“Okay, Yew? You take the left.” Devve spoke. “I’ll take the right, Gyo and Koyaki, team up and take the center.”

The group nodded, and split ways, inkling every area they could. 

Yew inked the ground, dipping into her ink occasionally. Her tentacles were shorter than most octolings her age, but she didn’t mind. 

Her ears twitched as she heard the sounds of footsteps. Quickly hiding in her ink, she peered up at what made the noise. Commander Rojji stepped up just inches away from where Yew was hiding and paused. She surveyed the surroundings, before pulling out her Octoshot and splatting Yew, who let out a sharp cry before exploding. 

On the opposite side of the course, Devve heard this cry, and began making her way over to where the sound came from. She saw the splatter of yellow ink, and began following the trail of it. A shadow crept behind her, waiting to strike. 

Devve heard the sound of a step. She turned around, and was nose-to-nose with the nozzle of an Octoshot. And then she was splatted. 

Gyo and Koyaki, heading down the middle, had seen both of these incidents happen from the safety of their ink. Gyo was an impulsive person, and in a moment of adrenaline, she leapt out of the ink and attacked Rojji- big mistake. Rojji was able to take her down and splat her, nearly instantly. 

This left Koyaki to himself. He didn’t move from his place in the ink, as Rojji looked around, slowly. Searching for any of the members. 

When we came to the conclusion she was alone, she relaxed her shoulders and let her weapon drop to her side. 

It was then Koyaki pounced. He leapt from the ink and tackled Rojji, who fought back. They tumbled back and forth, struggling for dominance. Eventually, Koyaki pinned her to the ground, his Octoshot aimed straight at her forehead. 

A timer rang, signaling the training session was over- the ink surrounding them began to dry, then chip and crystallize as the molecules in the air began to eat away at it. 

Once the troop had regrouped, Rojji addressed them one by one. 

“Devve, attempting to avenge a teammate is good strategy, although you do need to work on your stealth.” She turned to Yew. “Wonderful stealth tactics. Offense needs fine-tuning.” 

“Gyo, the surprise attack approach is not often executed properly, and while yours was by far much better than most, you might need some more planning.” She turned to Koyaki, last in the line. 

“What’s your name, soldier?” She leaned in close. 

“OCTO122008- Ta Koyaki, Commander.” Koyaki stammered. 

“Koyaki…” she murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. 

She clapped her hand on his shoulder, making him jump considerably. “You were incredible,” she smiled down at him. “You’re gonna go far, kid.”

Koyaki beamed. Never had he been told he was good. He’d never been complimented before, actually. 

He was already on Rojji’s good side, all he needed was training. Lots and lots of training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof ouch my fingers hurt


	3. Spawn Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finality's not what it seems.  
> When your end comes, rise up and run.  
> Don't let defeat dissolve your dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are so short ugh
> 
> Anyways, from now on, the chapters will be based off men cakes, so prepare for that lol

“Eyes up!” 

The training sessions had been almost nonstop since that day. All Koyaki wanted to do was train, train, and train some more. 

Rojji was leading the squad in a routine warm-up, of the sorts, in which the octolings would fire at moving targets- who could fire back. 

The four younger octolings bounced between the targets, defending each other- all while landing hits on the targets. Gyo seemed to have taken the led naturally, giving orders. 

“Devve, on your left!” She dodged to the right, narrowly missing a glob of ink. 

Rojji watched from above the training area, in a viewing box, taking note of each of her soldiers qualities and weaknesses. Seeing who could lead the team. 

It was a known fact among the squad that Rojji was not as young as she used to be, and somebody would need to take her place. Somebody with skill, leadership, and power. 

“Commander Rojji,” a voice to her left, called out. “I have a message.”

Another octoling soldier, tentacles a simple red. “The DJ-”

Rojji sighed. “I know,” she looked off to the side. “He wants me to pick my 

The octoling nodded. “Your deadline has been moved, Commander. You have three weeks.”

Rojji growled softly. “Really?” She turned back to where her troop was practicing, dodging and firing. 

“Yes ma’am. DJ’s orders.” The octoling bowed curtly and left. This left Rojji on her own, wondering. 

She decided she would change today's training to a test- yes! That’ll certainly help move things forward. Each of the four soldiers would only have one ‘life’- once they got splatted, they would be out of the test.

“Great work, soldiers,” Rojji’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Although there’s been a change in today’s training activity.” She explained her test, and the rules. “Ready...begin!” 

The four’s performance increased dramatically, now that it was a competition. Each one of them wanted to impress the Commander- to be the favorite. 

Yew sharply cried out when a stream of ink slammed directly into her face, splatting her instantly. 

“Yew is out!” Rojji announced to the remaining three. 

Koyaki dropped into his inkling avoiding a blast of ink. Gyo, in the other hand, was moving with pristine accuracy- until she stumbled. Devve jumped in front of Gyo, blocking a shot and being splatted in the process. 

“Devve is out!”

It was down to Gyo and Koyaki- dodging back and forth, jumping in and out of ink. 

Time seemed to move slower- a shot of ink, barreling towards Gyo, who has just jumping out of her ink. 

Without thinking, Koyaki jumped forward, taking the blow for her, and exploding into ink. 

“Koyaki is out!”

The strange feeling of being pulled from consciousness into a new body always made Koyaki shudder, yet he was still alive. He wasn’t the best, but he was still here. 

 

He took a deep breath, and sat down next to Devve and Yew. He knew he couldn’t let this break his dreams- of leading his own fleet, of being known by all, to be powerful. 

He squeezed his eyes shut- and for a moment, just a moment, he swears- he saw the face of an inkling. Laughing. It was laughing. 

He shook his head and leaned back, staring at the screens that lined this particular dome. They showed white wisps of clouds against a strikingly blue sky. The screens were all he ever needed. 

He can’t let anyone break his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a family Christmas yesterday, and I got Splatoon 2! I’m really happy except I don’t have a switch :/ but I’m working it out don’t worry lol. I’ll be able to play in time for FrostyFest, which I’m so excited for!!


	4. Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To plant a tree's its own reward  
> After you're gone, it will grow on  
> In memory, initials scarred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, more than 1,000 words,

“Look at this!”

The squad of four had been given the day off- something to do with a power shortage, or something. They’d spent the day wandering around the dome, exploring kettles, and daydreaming about what could be beyond the underground. They didn’t dwell too long on the latter, though. They had everything they needed down here. 

What they had come across now, was a tree. Not a fake tree, like the plastic ones supplied for decoration, but a real tree. 

“Wow..” Devve rubbed her hand against the bark of the tree. “It’s rougher than I thought it’d be.”

“Yeah, well- it’s not THAT cool,” Gyo turned away, arms crossed. “I’ve seen cooler. Definitely.”

“Sure,” Yew laughed. “Like that totally real mechanical Maws you saw the other day.”

Gyo spun back around. “That WAS real! I swear! I saw the octotroopers building it! Like some big machine replica…”

Yew snorted. “Yeah, right. The only ‘mechanical Maws’ that ever existed was one of the Great Octoweapons, and they were all destroyed in the war.”

“Whatever. I saw what I saw, whether you believe me or not.”

Koyaki has stayed silent through all this. He was completely transfixed by the tree. The way the leaves swayed gently in the circulating dome air, the color of each branch, the way the bark wrapped around each knot in the trunk- it was incredible. He’d never seen anything like it. 

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Devve had walked up behind Koyaki while the other two were fighting. 

“Yeah,” he turned to her. “These are from the surface, right? I wonder what it looks like, with these everywhere.”

“I heard, in the days before the Great Freeze, the leaves change colors and fall to the ground, only to be reborn when it melts,” Devve closed her eyes and smiled. “What I’d give to see that.”

“Maybe…” Koyaki trailed off. He brought his hand up to the bark that lined the tree. “Hold on.”

Devve hummed and cocked her head in confusion. Koyaki pulled a dull switchblade out from the loops of one of his belts, and began stabbing it into the tree. 

“What are doing?” Devve’s tone of voice seemed almost devastated. “Don’t kill it!”

“I’m not, I promise! I saw this once, in an old human photograph,” He gestured towards the markings he made on the tree. “They carved things into trees to commemorate their existence. I thought we could do the same thing.”

Devve nodded. “That’s...really cool, actually.” She scoffed. “Cooler than Gyo’s Maw contraption, or whatever.”

She turned back to what Koyaki was carving into the tree. “What are you writing, anyways?” 

“I thought I’d write out squad number, and all our initials,” he proudly turned around. “Since you and Yew don’t have surnames, I’ll make yours, uh…” he paused. “O! For octoling!”

Devve laughed softly. “You’re an idiot.”

“A cool idiot.”

They stood in silence as Koyaki finished carving. He stepped back, and admired his handiwork. 

SQUAD #214H

G.R, K.T, D.O, Y.O

“That’s so,” Devve paused, looking for the right words. “Incredible.”

“Really?” Koyaki perked up. 

“Incredibly stupid,” Devve laughed. “Anyways, it’s getting late. Look,” she gestured towards the screens. “The sun’s setting. We should get back to the barracks.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Koyaki turned over to Yew and Gyo, who were still arguing. “Come on.”

The other two sighed and made temporary truce, promising they’d revisit the topic- at which Devve shook her head- at a later date. 

They travelled kettle to kettle, jumping dome to dome, until they reached their destination. The screens were scattered with stars- a stock image, taken from who knows where. 

Koyaki bid the girls farewell as they entered the female barracks. There really was no need for separation for reasons you’d think, as octolings were too well trained to mess around- rather are separated because male octolings need special care and to be watched over. Too many of them have died in the night because of some sort of contagious ink-eroding disease that seemed to sweep the males every now and then. 

As Koyaki approached his home- a small cubicle, a section of the building just for him and his bunkmate, he was stopped by a twintacle octotrooper. 

“What’s going on, officer?” Koyaki bit his lip nervously- troopers didn’t stay in the octoling barracks- they were usually bad news. 

“Are you the other than stays in the room 297?” The trooper eyed him suspiciously. 

“Yes- is there a problem?” He planted his fists on his hips, irritated he couldn’t get into his own room- the only place he could relax. 

“Ah. A suspicious substance was found,” they motioned towards the room. “Do you know anything about this?”

Another octotrooper, with a single tentacle, emerged from the room- carrying a plastic bag containing a green, glowing (almost pulsating), paste. 

“I’ve never seen that before. I’m not sure…” he felt a shudder rack his body. “I’m not sure where it came from.”

The twintacle trooper scowled. “Yeah, sure. We’ll have to investigate this. You’re not off the hook yet.”

There was something Koyaki wanted to say, something on the tip of his tongue. Something was familiar here, but he wasn’t sure what. 

Barely audible speech came from the trooper’s radio transceiver, followed by a beep. “Well, it’s time to move on. We don’t have enough power to settle this now,” the other single tentacle troopers began moving out. “We’ll discuss this at a later date. Have a nice night, kid.”

The troopers were gone, and this left Koyaki by himself. He trudged into the room and closed the door. He was lucky enough to not have to share the barrack with another octoling- mainly because of the lack of his kind. 

He lay on his bed- actually, calling it a bed is a bit of an overstatement. It’s more like a slab with some thin sheets over it, and a pillow that felt like a rock. But, home is home. 

He thought about the day, and what lay ahead of him. He thought about how Gyo had seen one of the Great Octoweapons- she’d do anything for attention, wouldn't she? The tree they’d seen- how he’d carved their names into it. They’d be there forever. 

He thought about Devve. The way the light shines off her face, how she smiled, everything about her seemed magical. Koyaki got a funny feeling inside whenever he thought about her- he didn’t know what it was, But he figured it’d be best to just ignore it and focus on the army. 

He closed his eyes, and had dreams about the strange paste, and what sort of monsters it came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are gonna start getting good from here I swear


	5. Tentacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How desolate this star-marked limb.  
> Is what awaits me this same fate?  
> I must not dwell; it's much too grim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhh kinda short. Whatev

Rojji paced back and forth. She had called her squad forth nearly an hour ago- where were they? Did it have something to do with the previous day off? It better not have, otherwise she was gonna have to put in a word with the DJ-

“Rojji!” A voice to her left snapped her out of her daze. 

“Commander, ma’am.” Devve panted, appearing to have ran the whole way. “We...I’m so sorry- we can’t-”

“Where have you been?!” Rojji growled. “It’s been an hour! Where are the others?” She was practically steaming from the ears. 

“We’ve been looking!”

“Looking for what?!”

“It’s- it’s Gyo! We can’t find her anywhere!”

Rojji froze. Gyo? Gone? No way. 

Three days prior, Rojji had attended a Commander meeting- a get together with the leaders of the squads, the elites. They had discussed the recent attack- that inkling- Agent Three, they called her. They came to the only sensible conclusion available, with their dwindling power sources and all- to reactivate the rest of the Great Octoweapons. 

They’d already had the OctoStomp destroyed by that punk- she took out the OctoNozzle too. They were running out of options. 

The only problem is, they needed control tentacles. Without one, the weapon wouldn’t run, no matter how many Zapfish you stuff in it. 

They had picked out one soldier from each of their troops, and the DJ would pick the two that would power the OctoWhirl and Maw. 

Rojji didn’t think it’d be so soon. 

They’d chosen Gyo for the OctoMaw- and by now, it was too late. They’d burned a green X-shaped scar into her back, they’d held her down, kicking and screaming. She was gone by now. 

“Calm down, soldier!” Rojji brought herself back to the present. “Everything is just fine! Bring the rest of your squad down here- and be quick about it.”

She stood waiting until the three young octolings lined up in front of her, each wi5 varying levels of worry and fear stricken across their faces. 

“Now, I know we are all worried about the disappearance of our fellow teammate,” and walked up and down the line. “But- we must be diligent. We cannot let this faze us.”

Yew shakily raised a hand. “If I may, Commander?”

“Go on.”

“When we entered Gyo’s quarters, there was nothing left. Except,” she drew in a breath, shaking. “Except her goggles, ma’am. Laying on the floor, cracked and broken- we think it was that inkling- it kidnapper her, or-”

“Quiet!” Rojji cut off Yew’s stuttered rambling. “Gyo did not get kidnapped. In fact,” she smiled. “She’s just fine.”

“Really?” Yew lit up. “Where is she? Will she be returning soon?”

“I’m afraid Gyo won’t be returning at all.” 

Devve spoke up this time. “Why? Did she get a promotion?” She turned to Koyaki. “Oh, I’m so proud!”

“No, she wasn’t promoted,” Rojji snapped, every second pushing her towards the edge a bit more. “Gyo...is a part of something bigger than herself.”

“She’s been chosen to power on of the remaining Great OctoWeapons,” the three let out soft gasps. “The OctoMaw, specifically.”

“She…” Yew was trembling. “She wasn’t kidding. She really saw it.”

“Now is not the time for your emotional blubbering!” Rojji bared her teeth. “You’re being deployed.”

Koyaki stepped forward. “We’re being deployed? On the field? We’re really going to-”

“Back in line, soldier. Yes, you’re being put on the field. You’re going to be guarding a Zapfish, in a place the inklings call, ‘Blackbelly Skatepark’,” she made a face of disgust and continued. “You will watch it until backup arrives to retrieve it and return it here.”

“And if we see the inkling?” Devve shuddered. 

“Destroy it at all costs.”

The three nodded and returned to their barracks to prepare for the next days mission. It was going to be a long day, guarding the Zapfish until the UFO would arrive. Koyaki was frantically pacing back and forth, trying to figure out the best strategy- if that scummy inkling showed up. He growled softly under his breath. No way he’s gonna let it get through their defenses. He closed his eyes a moment and saw piercing pink eyes, full of worry staring right at him- the eyes of an inkling. 

He snapped his eyes opened and decided to think about something else. So, he thought about Gyo. What happened her could happen to anybody- any of them could have been selected to be reshaped and forced to live inside a machine, a horrible green scar brandished into them forever. It could have just has easily happened to him. He shook his head, clearing the thought. There’s no time to think about that- he must be prepared...for Gyo!

In the girl’s barracks, Rojji sat in Gyo’s old quarters, head in her hands, goggles perched on her forehead. Every now and then, she’d peek up at the cracked pair of goggles laying on the floor, untouched. It was the last piece of her. She’d let her troop down, and Gyo was fine forever. No doubt that inkling would come and destroy the rest of the weapons too- she would reach the Great Zapfish in no time, and then they’d all be plunged into darkness again. She couldn’t let that happen- she couldn’t let her young soldiers learn what she had gone through already first hand. No way.

In a completely different dome, a chatter rose among Octarian troopers, discussing some sort of paste. The paste had disappeared- simply, vanished from where the bag was being contained. Not a single soul had seen the goo, or where it had gone. It was almost like it never existed- but that wasn’t possible. Things don’t just disappear like that, do they?

And somewhere, in the darkness, a mechanical Maws powered to life, with only one purpose:

Seek and destroy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaww here we go. Approaching the inkanikanikantaion........


	6. Zapfish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encased in a sturdy sphere of glass.  
> It breaks my heart to see you caught  
> With whiskers trembling as I pass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay longer chapter!! Close encounter with the ink kind

“Wow…” 

The sun was just slipping from the sky, casting an orange glow across the skatepark. Koyaki, Devve, and Yew had just climbed out from the exit kettle. Devve was transfixed with the way the sun was seemingly exploding with color. 

“It’s so much better than the screens.” 

Koyaki and Yew nodded, before beginning to survey their surroundings. The skatepark had many hills and dips, and a large tower in the middle. There were walls and crates- good for cover. The two began inking the are in case they needed to quickly escape. Koyaki motioned towards Devve, trying to break her out of her sunset-induced stupor. 

“Devve,” he waved a hand in her face. “Come on, we have to start making rounds.”

She blinked a few times before solemnly nodding, and heading off towards her specified route. 

Each of the three soldiers had a special route to follow around the skatepark, circling the Zapfish before going around the perimeter and then through the middle. They would follow this route until they came across an intruder, or until the Zapfish was retrieved and they could return. 

Orange sunlight reflected and gleaned from Koyaki’s goggles as he walked slowly around the edge of the park. Devve was probably somewhere in the middle, while Yew was near the Zapfish. It was exciting at first, but then got rather boring- the same squid-shaped structures were actually quite sickening. They really valued their race that much, huh? They don’t care about any of Inkopolis’ minorities? 

He waved through the center of the park, before coming around a bend and seeing the Zapfish. It was encased in a translucent yellow sphere, electricity skirting across the surface of the protective shield. 

As he approached, the Zapfish emitted a squeak. It was clearly afraid, Koyaki noticed, as he got closer he could see its whiskers trembling with every step. The shield flickered for a moment. 

He stopped right next to the electric catfish. He could see the fear in its eyes, even though it’s brain was more or less very primitive, it was still terrified. He almost felt bad. 

Wait- no, Koyaki DID feel bad. In some sort of daze, he began reaching out towards it, slowly, slowly. He was so close to touch the barrier, it would break the moment he touched it, allowing him to take the fish and set it free, allow it to be wherever it wanted, all he had to do was-

“Koyaki?”

He jumped at the sound of his name and whipped around. Devve has approached him from behind. 

“What are you doing?”

“I was just- um,” Koyaki struggled to make up an excuse. What HAD come over him, anyways? “I was…”

“You we’re trying to sabotage the mission,” Devve whispered. Fear shone through her eyes, the intensity stronger than the Zapfish. 

“No! I was...um...I don’t,” he bit his lip. “I don’t know. Something just-”

The sound of a crate breaking and a small yap cut Koyaki off. 

Devve turned towards the sound- and then whipped back through Koyaki, terror stricken. 

“Koyaki, it’s-”

“The inkling!” He finished. They both dipped into their ink, slowly swimming towards the sound. The sound of some sort of shooter firing and then ink splashing. Koyaki and Devve could hear Yew’s whimper as her soul flew away. Luckily, they still had a spawn kettle enabled nearby, so she would be fine. 

The two continued to sneak through the ink, until Devve hit a spot of yellow. She wa a forced out from her hidden location, and nose-to-nose with the inkling. Her two long tentacles were gently glowing with bioluminescence as it got darker and darker. She had two piercingly pink eyes, Koyaki felt like that was familiar- but he didn’t remember from what. 

There was another ink explosion, and Devve was splatted. Koyaki was backing up, still submerged in ink, but he was running out of room. The inkling kept shooting yellow ink outwards until-

Koyaki swam onto inkless turf. 

He froze for a moment, the inkling froze for a moment, before he jumped up and began firing his OctoShot, praying to land a hit. 

Apparently, landing a hit was not a choice, as he was splatted near instantly. His soul wandered off to the spawn kettle, and reformed. Devve and Yew were there- Devve staring into space and Yew pacing back and forth. 

“I can’t believe it had the nerve to show up!” Yew spat. She was frantically making hand movements, folding and unfolding her arms. 

“We have to get back,” Devve tried to reason. “We can’t let it take the Zapfish.”

“She’s right,” Koyaki added, nodding. 

Yew sighed before letting her arms drop to her sides with a single, long swoop. “Fine. Let’s go, then.”

The three began the short distance back to the skatepark, hopping small fences and sneaking through tall grass. They dodged out of sight of a few inklings- the horrible creatures- before vaulting another fence and landing in the skatepark. 

“It’s...awfully dark.” Devve whispered. She was right- the whole park was bathed in shadows, the only light from the just-rising moon. 

“You don’t think…?” Yew bit her lip. 

Devve ran to where the Zapfish had been, only to find shattered glass and chipping ink. 

The inkling had taken it. 

“That inkling took the Zapfish- along with our jobs,” Yew was shaking. “We’re going to be turned into puddles of ink, they’ll destroy everything we’ve ever loved, we’re never going to train together again, we’ll-”

“Yew.” Devve put her hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be alright. We have to stay strong, for Gyo.”

Yew nodded, sliding her hand under her goggles to wipe away a stray tear. “For Gyo.”

The three sat together and waited for backup- the moon rise higher in the sky, and they watched the stars together. 

Just the three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna take a Phat nap now bye


	7. Steel Eel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt leads down a winding path.  
> Tightly coiled and well-oiled,  
> These dirty squids could use a bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, got caught up in holidays and family and junk. Lmao

“Great work, Agent 3! You’ll have the Great Zapfish in no time!”

The commanders stood around a conference room, listening to an intercepted radio transmission from the inklings. 

“So they’re trying to rebuild the old Splatoon? That man's gone crazy.” One spoke. 

“They’re dangerous! It doesn’t matter how crazy the man is.”

“We should leave it alone, it’ll burn itself out and go home, we all know how lazy inklings are.”

Rojji pinched the bridge of her nose, listening to the roaring crowd fire questions and solutions back and forth. 

“Let’s fortify the domes, they’re too weak.”

“Escape the domes, terrorize the surface, take back what’s ours!”

“Quiet, all of you!” Rojji snapped, immediately silencing the room. “Clearly, none of you know what you’re doing.”

“We need to strengthen our troops, prepare for the ultimate formation! It’s clear the inkling is heading straight for the DJ’s lair, so let’s give it a fight! Let’s capture that old-timer, show it what octolings are made of!”

The room was silent for a moment, before a murmur of agreement swept through the group, octolings nodding left and right. 

“We need a plan,” Rojji stepped into the center of the group. “As we know, I’m not going to be able to be in charge of my troop much longer.” 

“I’m going to need a replacement, whom is going to lead this capture,” She swept her gaze across the mass of octolings clumped around her. “And lead the Octarian race to victory.”

There was a beat of silence, before a sole voice cried out. 

“To victory!”

Others began to join in, leading the crowd of commanders into a full cheer, screaming, and jumping. The air of the room almost seemed playful. 

Rojji calmed the room, and stood back st the center. “I know this is exciting, but we must focus. I will be bringing in my understudy and replacement in to the meeting tomorrow, so I expect you to be prepared for that. Now,” she took a deep breath. “Go and get some rest. We must be prepared to infiltrate.” Rojji turned on her heel and left the room. 

—

There was a song, nearly overwhelming, echoing throughout the chamber. Bright lights, two people- screaming, that neon green ooze, oh, it was everywhere- glass shattering, a piercing headache-

Koyaki bolted upright, drenched in sweat and panting. The barracks were dark, it was well past curfew, but not nearly early enough for the screens to change. He blinked slowly, processing what he’d seen. The dream was just slipping away from him as he struggled to make out the details.

He shook it off. It was nonsense inspired by the way the subconscious process events and emotions. It meant nothing. Nothing at all. 

With a shaky sigh, Koyaki stood up and stepped away from the stiff bed- which, was an overstatement, to be frank. 

He paced around his room, thinking about the coming day, as it wouldn’t make sense to return to sleep now. It would simply risk oversleeping, and who knows how Rojji could feel about that. 

Eventually, the screens shifted from stars to a sickly yellow sunset- it was nothing compared to the one he saw on the field- speaking of which, he was more than likely going to be punished for today. Koyaki winced at the thought. 

He trudged out of the male barracks, waiting in the usual spot where the hallway split for Yew and Devve. He tapped his foot on the floor, turning his goggles over and over in his hands. They were slightly scratched, the purple lights duller than he’d remembered them being. 

How long had he been here?

Not after long, Yew and Devve emerged from the female sector and joined Koyaki. Devve smiled sweetly in his direction, causing an unknown feeling to swell in his chest. It was magical- she was magical. They began walking towards the training grounds. 

“Did you hear about what’s going to happen today?” Devve whispered to the two. 

“No- what’s going on?” Koyaki blinked. 

“They’re gonna capture that cook captain! Not only that-” Devve giggled softly. “Rojji’s gonna pick the new commander!”

“No way!” Yew cried. The two continued chattering on about the proposed capture. Koyaki was tuning them out, however. He was busy imagining the new commander- the captain of the squad. He could see it now, it was clearly going to be Yew, she was the most hardworking, the most talented, and was so easy to get along with, it was the obvious choice. He smiled, a feeling of premature pride swirling within. 

Upon arriving at their designated training area, they were stopped by an octotrooper. 

“Is this Squad 214H?” their bulging eyes darted between the three. 

“Yes sir,” Yew stepped forward. “We are here to meet our captain and-”

The trooper groaned, cutting her off. 

“Don’t you know how this works?” 

Yew swallowed. “Well uh…”

“Thought so.” The trooper shook their head. “Follow me, I will escort you.”

“Escort? To where?” Devve’s curiosity often brought the squad into tricky situations-Koyaki hoped this wouldn’t be one if them. 

“I can’t tell you until we arrive. Now,” he glared back at Devve. “Follow me.”

The three reluctantly followed, tentatively hanging back a step or two. They’d been taught to only take orders from Rojji, but seeing as none of them knew how a commander ceremony worked, they figured following the low-level soldier would be their best bet. 

They approached a smaller building, usually hidden in the shadows of the poorly lit dome. It seemed well-kept compared to the rest of the floating structures, mainly due to being rarely used. 

The three followed the trooper into the building, wandering through a narrow hallway, until they found themselves standing in a well-lit room, old posters advertising the militia plastered all over the walls. They were instructed to don their goggles, and appear as professional as possible, until given the signal to exit through a door opposite the hall they came from, which would take them directly to the ceremony, apparently. 

The three stood in line, unmoving. A bead of sweat formed on Yew’s forehead, while Devve clenched and unclenched her fists. 

The trooper’s radio crackled and beeped out a series of whistles and clicks, then fell silent. The trooper then nodded, and gestured towards the door with their tentacle. 

“You’re on,” they paused. “Good luck out there.”

The three nodded, and began walking through the door, marching in sync- an old military technique Rojji taught them. Back when Gyo was here. 

They walked out into some sort of stage, with seating stretching back, filled with Elites and higher-ups. Koyaki swore he saw Octavio up there, somewhere. 

“Thank you all for coming,” Rojji was standing in the middle of the stage, microphone clipped to the upper part of her chestplate. “This is a very special occasion for all of us.”

“The last time we hosted one of these, we had no worries of power, no inkling menace,” She scowled. “But I believe that after today, the menace will be no more!” 

A cheer erupted from the crowd, hoots and whistles of all sorts. 

“Today, I will be stepping down from my role as commander, captain and elite,” the crowd let out a gasp. “I will be choosing a predecessor from the remnants of my squad.” She gestured towards the three, standing motionless. 

Koyaki gently nudged Yew, whom was shaking slightly. She bit down on her lip and squeezed her hands together behind her back. She nodded, a small, minuscule movement, to give Koyaki her thanks. 

“Thank you, to all three of you, for being loyal to the Octarian society, and myself.” She smiled softly. “But one of you must come out on top.”

Koyaki’s mind began to wander, thinking about what life would be like without Rojji, with the new captain. 

“The leader of a squad must be strong, fearless, able to think quickly and move without hesitation. A captain must be capable of protecting their underlings, and holding…”

Rojji’s voice began to fade away as Koyaki continued to think. He thought about the inkling, and it’s sharp pink eyes, the ones he’d sworn he’d seen before. The green sludge, appearing and then disappearing as soon as it came. The green sludge, and the inkling- wait, no- a crooked grin and a telephone- stop, no- a kind face, a voice laced with static, laughing and shouting- please, it hurts- the shattering of glass, a scream, a shout, a cry, so loud, echoing, ricocheting, tearing his mind apart- IT HURTS-

Koyaki nearly fell to his knees as a sharp pain cracked through his skull, a headache pounding against his forehead- somebody had grabbed his arm, they were leading him back towards the way they had come from- Where was he? Right, the ceremony… something was tied around one of his wrists- his vision was becoming steadily more and more into focus. 

He made out the face that was pulling him back to the well-lit room- Devve? Yes, it was her- his goggles were pulled down from his face, left to rest around his neck. He stopped and stared and Devve, who was smiling from tencatle to tentacle. Yew, on his other side, was bouncing up and down on her toes. 

What’s going on?

In a beat, Devve had her arms wrapped around Koyaki, hugging him as tight as she possibly could. Yew had her arm on his shoulder, laughing gently at Devve’s enthusiasm. 

Rojji approached Koyaki from behind, placing a gentle hand on his other shoulder.

“What-” he sputtered. “What’s happening- What’s going on?” 

“Congratulations,” Rojji sighed, then smiled. “You’ll do great.”

He blinked, then glanced down at whatever was tied around his wrist- a single strand of kelp.

“Wha- no way!” He cried out, causing the others in the room to jump. “I can’t...this isn’t…!”

Rojji frowned. “Where you not paying attention?”

Koyaki looked at the ground. “I mean, I was a little out of sorts,” he looked back up. “There was this weird pain in my head, I guess.”

“Probably just nerves,” Devve grinned again. “This IS a pretty big deal!”

“I just- I can’t believe it,” Koyaki blinked again. “Me?”

“Yes, you!” Yew threw her arms around his shoulders, locking him in embrace. 

“Now, that’s no way to treat your superior,” Rojji teased. 

“Oh! Right.” Yew jumped up and stood back with Devve. 

They raised their arms in a sort of mock salute, and chanted in unison.

“Ready for orders, Commander Ta!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make it clear: “Rojji” is her last name, her first name will be revealed later


	8. Inkling Girl (Orange)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You paint the turf with graceful strokes.  
> With watchful eye, I breathe a sigh.  
> From sniper's perch, I go for broke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!! I got caught up in high school shit lmao

Koyaki didn’t know how to feel about his current position. Everywhere he went, he was given a salute and treated with utmost respect. It was almost unnerving. 

The worst part was the ink change. Elite octoling tentacles are usually a shade of brown, some get specks of gold and maroon, depending on their natural ink color. The procedure for this requires a substance to be injected into the tentacles, allowing them to stay the correct color, the only part changing would be the tip. This procedure is also incredibly painful, and Koyaki hadn’t looked forward to it. 

So there he was, standing in line, preparing to meet one of the top generals of the era- Ida. She was strong, and so incredibly smart- she graduated from the garrison when she was ten- ten! What a wonder! 

One of the troopers next to him whispered into his ear, “General Ida is nearly here. Present yourself with diligence.”

Koyaki nodded and stood up straight, hands behind his back, straight-faced. He waited, and waited, and waited, until he could hear footsteps ringing down the hallway. 

He swallowed hard as the weight of the situation hit him. Just last week, he was your average nameless, faceless soldier, and now he was going to meet the practical leader of his time. 

He stepped forward to greet the legend with a curt bow. She responded with the same. 

“It is an honor to be here with you today, General Ida.” He held his posture and stared into her cold, emotionless goggles. 

“Please, call me Marina,” she laughed softly. 

“My apologies, General Marina.” He continued the prolonged eye contact. 

She shook her head with a smile and held out her hand, in which Koyaki took and gave a single firm movement. 

“We’ll take care of you now,” she smiled, and he swore he could almost feel her warm gaze through the goggles. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face, as he shakily tried to smile back. His facade was breaking. 

“Thank you,” Koyaki nearly choked trying not to stutter as the weight really hit him. 

Marina stepped back, clearing her throat. “Anyways, I’ve come to deliver your next mission,” she spun around, facing the hall. “You will be leading, of course.”

“There’s a Zapfish out on Saltspray Rig- the one the inklings currently keep in their territory. Keep an eye on it, until backup arrives. You may have been on a mission like this before,” she turned her head back to him, goggles reflecting light. 

“Keep an eye on that fish, and if you see the inkling- destroy it! We can’t,” she took a shaky breath. “We can’t lose any more power than we already have. Dismissed,”

Koyaki nodded, and saluted the elite in a smooth movement. He turned on his heel to return to the barracks- he had a job to do. 

—

Koyaki was awoken by a shrill scream. He had been dreaming again- bright lights, strange goo, and a song. He could never hear the song, though- it was almost like silence. 

He stood and left his new room in the elite barracks, searching for the source of the noise. He walked up and down the hall several times, finding nothing. Nobody seemed to have heard the shriek but him. What’s going on?

Eventually, he decided there was nothing in the barracks, and returned to his own room. As he lay back down on the stone slab of a bed, he realized there was a very high chance he was the one screaming. Could it have been the dream? He remembered somebody screaming in his dreams…

—

Koyaki paced back in forth in front of the Zapfish, waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen. He, along with Devve and Yew had been on the rig for nearly three hours and nothing, absolutely nothing, had happened. He figured they could’ve retrieved the Zapfish without all this security. 

He began to examine the charger in his hands for the umpteenth time, staring down the barrel and aiming at crates and objects in the distance. It was just your average splatterscope- painted with precision and crafted by skilled hands.

Just as he was about to fire at the crate in front on him, he heard the sound of another crate breaking- one that was definitely not his. He froze, slowly raising a finger to the communicator in his ear. 

“Squad, sound off. Koyaki,” he waited for the squadmates to respond.

“Yew here,” Yew voice was laced with streams of static and radio gibberish. 

“Devve?” No response. “Devve!” 

Another crate broke, and then a scream- just like the one in his dream. Devve’s scream. 

He jumped from where he’d been standing and flew towards the source of the noise. There were respawn kettles here, but being splatted and respawning never hurts- not as much to feel the need to scream. 

Koyaki paused on a ledge, taking in the scene in front of him. Turquoise and purple ink was littered on the ground, along with various pieces of shattered crate. Devve was pinned to the ground by that awful inkling- whom was wielding a shard of wood, whilst Devve tried to keep its hands back and away from her face- which didn’t seem to be working out, as half her face seemed to be gouged out. It took every will not to cry out. 

He took a deep breath and lifted the charger. Peering through the scope, he lined up the crosshairs with the back of the inkling’s head. 

3…2...1-

“GerAH-!” 

The shot was spot on, but, Koyaki wasn’t close enough to splat it. It shook the purple ink off of its head and whipped around, staring daggers. 

Koyaki began charging another shot. Just one more, it’ll be gone and Devve can go to the infirmary- 

The inkling opened its mouth and spoke. 

“Why?”

Koyaki blinked. Octarian and Inkling were similar enough, he could understand the question. He lowered the charger. 

“Why?” It repeated. 

He dropped the charger, and shook his head slowly, curling into a ball. 

It began to approach, climbing up crates to reach him. 

It reached out and opened its mouth- maybe to comfort, maybe to taunt, who knows. All we know is it fell for his trap perfectly. 

Koyaki sprang up and grabbed the inkling by the neck, wrestling it to the ground. 

As he struggled with the creature, he snapped his head up to Devve, whom was covering her eye. 

“GO!” He cried out hoarsely. “TAKE YEW AND GET OUT OF HERE!” 

Devve scampered off, and left Koyaki and the inkling alone. He growled, as he landed fist after fist in its face, before it shoved him off and made a break for its gun. It pointed it directly in his face and fired. 

Being splatted didn’t hurt- it was the humiliation that did. He let his squad down, the government down, he let Marina down, but most importantly, he let the DJ down. 

Koyaki stepped off the respawn point and fell to his knees. He looked up and saw a speck of ink super jump into the far distance, as the lights on the rig began to flicker and fade out. 

He’d failed, again. 

Gathering his squad back up, they began the journey back to the nearest dome kettle. 

Devve spoke first. “Thank you,” she swallowed. “For saving me back there.”

“It was nothing.” Koyaki didn’t say anything else. He looked back towards the rig. “Let’s go. We’ve got a report to fill out, and a abduction to perform.”

Devve nodded, gently holding a hand over her eye. The three began slowly walking towards the kettle, a somber mood filling the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got dumped for an eighth grader lmaoooooooo

**Author's Note:**

> Ohhhoho boy here we go


End file.
